Through my Roaming Atelier journey, many unpredicted aspects have been going my way. Mostly joyful I am pleased to report.

The absolute best surprise so far has been my Instagram journey. To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in having a fully developed Instagram thing going on. You know, a bit like when people start telling you how brilliant the new show they are watching on Nextflix is and that you really should join in even though you are perfectly happy with your program choices right now, you know what I mean.

Anyway, I did end up of course, hopping on the Insta band-wagon and to my surprise, have totally got hooked in the process. I feel I have discovered a whole new side of my city as well as many others, actually what am I talking about, I have discovered a whole new Instaworld out there !

How strange is it though to witness that through these virtual relationships we are all having, I still find a greater appreciation, a connection and an emergence of artisans and their hand made crafts. It has been mind blowing. I had absolutely not expected anything like it.

I madly love the connections between these two worlds, the old and the new, the contemporary and the old fashioned.Time indeed changes things yet we can still find many of these amazing people who still greatly value the importance of old craft, material and objects but who have found a way to bringing them into today therefore making them essential and have probably recreated and extended their usefulness.

It does take courage today to go with what feels right and go over other people’s judgement, believing in what you do even though the majority might not go your way.

What we must remember is that these beautiful things made by these beautiful people didn’t just happen. They have learned their craft, they have worked hard, stayed true to themselves, they kept their integrity and followed their heart, not money. They probably have made tons of mistakes along the way too. But through all of this, their creativity is so strong that it can absolutely not be copied even slightly, their personal style have somehow brought them freedom, great respect and maintained a deep connection with their community.

I wish I could personally and individually thank these people for feeding my need of pretty and dreamy things. I will keep following them, discovering more,liking and sharing what they do and looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.

Thank you wonderful people, you have taken me on such a joyous journey indeed !

Growing up, my family didn’t value material possession or how things should look which really bothered me. Our home was just functional, basic, sparse and always felt unfinished to me. I was endlessly trying to find a way to improve the look and feel of my room, arranging and rearranging things, desperately coveting items from various shops.

When visiting friends I remember creating a scrapbook in my head of what I liked and disliked and what my ideal home would be. Everything was fair game, furniture, colours, arrangement, modern things, antique things. I actually still remember in quite clear details most of my friends’ homes. But at the end of the day, how fancy or humble the home was never mattered to me, I responded mostly to how the home felt, truly felt. How people in it lived and related to one another.

All these years later, I still find myself obsessed about homes and everything about them. I have had the chance to be invited in many beautiful homes and am always surprised at how even as an adult, my old habit still kicks in, I still find myself subconsciously scrutinising everything and taking mental notes as well as to how the house makes me feel. I can easily picture the dynamic of the family living within these walls quite rapidly, like a house profiler if you’d like.

I love doing what I do, I love creating an ambiance that suits you, I love creating a space in your home that tells your story. I love to relate to objects and furniture that have a spirit, not just an aesthetic or monetary value. I believe that is the only way we can together create a space that is equally functional, comfortable and genuine, qualities which in the end, will make it beautiful.

I feel I have already grown a lot in a very short time as The Roaming Atelier is slowly but surely and instinctively finding its mark and identity.

The one thing I have just noticed as Christmas is fast approaching is that I haven’t bought a single thing in a long time.

I have enormously enjoyed rediscovering my belongings, roaming around my own home, paying attention to how I made it my own.

That’s when a Eureka moment hit me. That’s exactly what the Roaming Atelier was all about when I created it, that is what it is all about ! It’s about slowing down, it is about enjoying what you have, rediscovering old things, favourite new old things !

There is no plan in this, you can’t rush it, you can’t predict what you are going to feel next, but just have to let it flow naturally. Pretty much every photo I have posted has been taken from my home and I could tell a story about each one. This home I love so much is still a work in progress though, has been growing with me as my family has been growing over the years, nothing just happened in this home.

That’s what I am talking about when I think about identity and your home about being “who you are rather that what you have”. Does your house tell your story and your past without the need for words?

Furniture, photos, objects have so much to tell, your story or even somebody else’s. An heirloom brings the past into the present, whether you know its story or have to imagine it. I think that’s why I love roaming around flea markets, second hand and vintage shops where the uncertainty of finding something keeps me on my toes but where a spontaneous find, no matter how big or small brings me such joy.

New old favourite piece of furniture or object in my home will entertain me for a long time, I really mean it, as it usually makes me rotate everything else around and give me a whole new project to work on but somehow I don’t feel I am overdoing anything either, I don’t ever fell my home as overfilled with unnecessary stuff, could I invent a new expression and call myself ‘a minimalist hoarder’?

Today, I caught up with the spunky Christine Dahan of Garden of Eden nursery. Christine with her husband Scott and his twin brother Brett have provided and guided us with our garden needs for the last 12 years and have been making magic in many of Melboune’s most beautiful gardens for a long time. In recent years, Christine has taken a liking with super crazy flair to creating within the nursery a beautiful space of amazingly curated items for your home as well as your garden.

Christine who does all the buying and sourcing herself has a real passion for all things home and garden. Her motto is simple, it has to be “ natural, beautiful and useful”, and by useful, she means something you will actually use! You won’t find anything in the whole place that Christine would not have in her own home either.

It wasn’t easy at first, Christine recalls feeling very vulnerable in the early days of the new venture. She felt she had to conform to what magazine and established shops were selling but she followed her instinct and kept going with the conviction she was doing the right thing.

When you ask Christine about anything on display here, you immediately understand she absolutely loves buying home ware, she loves the idea that someone is going to make something wonderful and beautiful with divine decorating items and plants she had hand picked. There is something quite special about walking through the Garden of Eden, the love and honesty of this place are evident and ooze through every item in here, and there is a lot to absorb ! You could spend ages going from the nursery to the home section and back again.

In her home, Christine loves to be with Scott, their two boys and their two dogs. It is lively house !

“Life is so busy, home has to be a cosy place where you can switch off completely and forget about the craziness of life.”

Please, go and check out The Garden of Eden. It’s the beautiful one along the tram line on 365 Ferras Street in Albert Park.

There is something quite special about walking through the Garden of Eden, the love and honesty of this place are evident and ooze through every item

There are so many books, articles, blog posts and sites about kids bedrooms décor but they tend to focus mainly on the aesthetics which of course is important but I firmly believe the way we decorate our children’s room influences the way they feel about being home, having that special place that has been created just for them, a nurturing space that should be designed to always brings comfort. There is no doubt in my mind in one’s home, childrens' bedrooms have to be the absolute cutest and reflects your little one's personality but also cater for his or her need to play, sleep, read, dream and create and as they get older, to study and just ‘hang out'.

Sleep.

Sleep is so important for children’s healthy development. We have all had the experience of how bad the day after an awful night sleep is. Children, just like us should be looking forward to going to bed at night knowing that the next day is another adventure. One third of our lives will be spent in bed, it is essential you make it a priority to teach our children to cherish going to a cosy, welcoming bed in order to recharge for the next day. That is one item that should be bought with great care. To dress up and make that bed super cosy, I love vintage, simple, soft and natural tones and fabrics with colour accent on cushion, a soft blanket at the end of the bed, or a childish pillowcase.

Play

The second most important thing your child will be doing in his room. Play is equally important to a growing little person as sleep is. Parents often go crazy at how messy, and disorganised the room can be but for your child spreading toys is an essential part of playing. There are ways to minimise the mess, I for example, really like to leave out only three of my boys’ absolute favourite play things, a basket of each must do. So, Lego, Playmobil and Bionicles will be the only toys left permanently outside the cupboard. They each belong to a pretty basket, so the tidying up at the end of the day is fast and easy even for a youngster. All the other toys, games, board games and bit and pieces are tucked away behind closed doors, so they get taken out one a time. This allow the mind to focus on the item or game chosen instead of over stimulating them.

Lay out

If you look at your child’s preferred activities, you will find clues to how to arrange the space. Does she like to spend hours on the floor building things or seems to prefer drawing and cutting and being crafty ? Arrange the space accordingly to give him or the space and layout they need.Does your child, like most, enjoy gathering and collect things ? A pretty shelf just for treasures can look delightful.Books arranged nicely with decorating items or creations can finish the look of a bedroom.I like to include, pretty small boxes, tins or baskets on shelves just for the gathered little items, I find under the couch like puzzle pieces or car wheels, and every now and then, I go through that box and put the lost item in it’s appropriate place, (or throw it the bin !)

Colour.

I don’t believe a room should be bombarded with primary colours to be attractive to a child, neither does it have to be white. There are lots of ideas, patterns and colours and textures that make a room inviting and pleasing to the eye. Do what you think is right, I love the idea of a beautiful wallpaper, or soft coloured walls with matching curtains, or clashing for that mater. Have you seen my little video of my new craze ? I have totally fell in love with these cutest little stickers ever ! Have fun with this, you probably can’t do this in any other room of your house. Don’t forget, it is a child’s room and it will probably change in a few years.

Read and work.

From the youngest ages, children love being read to and what parent doesn’t like that time of day when the times come to tuck a beautiful and tired child into a cosy bed? The night time story will as years go by transform into reading time and later, homework and revision. It is important to cater for that essential need too. A ceiling light is not sufficient in children’s bedroom, choose a soft light with which the child can relax but also efficient lamps or wall light strategically placed, above or behind the bed for example in order to read, work and play.

Most importantly, have fun, treat yourself because as well as creating a beautiful room for your child, you are creating the memory of a place they want to be, where they feel safe and loved and cared for.They do grow so fast and before you know it, will be taking charge of the decoration that expresses their own tastes and likes.

Don't stay in the dark !

Finding the perfect light is for many the hardest part of decorating a house.

It is like a minefield out there! The amount of choice, price and style is mind blowing and unfortunately isn’t making the task any less difficult.

Yet, good lighting really finishes the room. Like the perfect pair of shoes finishes an outfit. It really does. The perfect lighting can also make you look better (I am not kidding, ladies, think about when you go bra shopping, need I say more? )

But I’m getting side tracked.

Let me share with you my pro lighting tips that will make you and your room look even better.

To get the right lighting for your space, there are a few rules to obey.

You know, you have seen this gorgeous lamp in the shop, and you love it and then you buy it and take it home and it doesn’t even come close to your expectation ? That is so frustrating and we have been there.

Pro Tip #1

Think about the height of the lamp.

Ideally, it should come to your eye level, the last thing you want when you are sitting on your couch or working at your desk is seeing any part of the bulb.

You really just want light, not getting retina damage. Make sure you think about where you will be positioning yourself not just the lamp.

Pro tip #2

I might sound silly now but think of the actual light itself. I mean, is it going to be a useful light you actually need to write or work or prepare things, like you would at your desk or over a kitchen island ? Maybe you are just after some soft ambiance lighting in the living room so you are not watching TV in total darkness ? Thinking of this will help you choosing the right lamp.

Pro tip #3

Have more than one light source in the room

Depending what sort of lighting you have on the ceiling, a pendant or a set of down lights, dimmers are always a good idea. They really help controlling the mood you want to create, no one wants to wear sun glasses while having dinner for example.

I also recommend you have more than one source of light, mix different ones around the room, a couple on a side table, one floor lamp and and maybe a wall lamp ? Think about it next time you visit your favourite restaurant, have a look at the lighting.

All these tips will make your room, your decor and yourself look better.

I hope I have helped to take the hassle out of choosing the right lighting. For more tips and regular updates, scroll down a bit and become a Roaming Atelier VIP.

Yes, I can smell it too, spring is near and I can’t wait to let the light and fresh air fill the house.

As we are impatiently waiting for real warmth and sunshine, there are few things we could do to make time go faster as well as getting the house ready for spring, without feeling for one sec being overwhelmed and knee deep in a giant scary spring clean.

I will show you how to get your home spring ready in 30 minutes a day. Promise.

Have a look, have a thorough look. The state of some walls will probably horrify you. It makes your place look a little sad and neglected.

Fill a bucket with hot water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil, that is what I like to use, take a clean sponge or wipe or whatever you like as well as a dry cloth and inspect each room. You probably won’t need to go over every wall, just focus on the strategic dirty spots, behind the toilets, the basin, the corridor walls if you have children, around the switch plates etc. Gently clean and dry the area.

Day 2

The skirting boards.

They are often forgotten so today, it’s the only thing you will do.

Same as for the wall, I fill a bucket with hot water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil, grab a wipe and a cloth and go over the whole house. It’s not that bad if that’s’ all you do and it will make such a difference. I love that eucalyptus smell.

Day 3

The cobwebs.

They are sneaky these ones…they seem to suddenly appear out of nowhere when I can’t attend to them, on my way out, or when I’m going to bed..

So today, get your vacuum cleaner or a long pole with a brush, go around each room and get into it. It will take you no time to clear these pesky webs.

Day 4

The rugs and carpets.

Give them a quick vaccum and take them outside. They need a goodbeating and an airing for a few hours. While you are at it, give them a bit of a spot clean. It’s best on a sunny day as it will kill a lot of dustmites that have been partying there for the whole winter..Leave them in the sun for a while.

Day 5

The remote controls, keyboards, switches and door knobs.

I can’t even start to tell you about the amount of germs hanging on all of these little buttons we touch everyday with somehow questionably clean hands..Ewwww.

Give them a proper clean. Just make sure you use appropriate product on each surface. As you have figured out now, I only use eucalyptus oil and hot water.

Voila, what a super productive week it’s been , your house smells better, looks better, feels better. Your, like yourself house is now ready for spring !

Hi! I'm Alex. I like to fancy myself as a cool mum of two who likes to bring people together with great food in a gorgeous atmosphere.

I love to cook, (hey you can take the girl out of France, but you cannot take the boeuf bourguignon out of the girl). I love to read, I shamelessly love to watch Netflix, I love to browse furniture and curios on Ebay and op shops, and I love to declutter. Oh, and travel, I love going away, recharge in some new destination but I equally look forward to coming back home and tackle a new project, big or small.